Besides... there's also Wesley Clark to be reckoned with -- he's supposed to be saying one way or the other whether or not he'll be running within a few days. If he says yes, he's a shoo-in -- decorated military man, top of his class, non-left-wing, non-right-wing moderate, and actually has experience with diplomacy. Liberals would vote for him, 'cuz he's not Bush. Moderate Republicans'll vote for him because Bush is getting kind of scary, even for Republicans, and Clark's not a bleedin' heart liberal. On top of that, he's got a rugged face and an easy to remember name that evokes images of Superman's alter ego. Oh, and he's reasonably eloquent, too.

I am printing my Dean/Clark bumper stickers as we speak!

I think that many if not most of the positives that you note are true, but that the hesitant Clark effort is destined, if not calculated, to garner a cred-enhancing #2 spot on the ticket. For one, he is way too late on fund-raising, too.

(interesting short profile on Clark in most recent Atlantic Monthly, BTW. Generally positive, but paints the picture of guy that could have a very hard time adjusting to the realities of compromise politics.)

I had an evil thought. Let's start a moderate stakes pool If Tony (we know where to find him) Fabris will agree to play escrow, I'll send him an envelope with a C-note in it to hang on to until November 04 (or later if needed if Florida farks up again!) and that'll be my Dean bet. The first BBS denizen to claim another candidate and get Tony $100 joins the pool. Winner take all. You want Wesley? Who wants Shrub?

Dean / Clark in '04